WRI
[382]
WYT
The Invention of the Art of Writing is refer'd to Cadmus. See Letter and Greek.
In Law, we fay, Deeds, Conveyances, Sge. are to be in
Writing. A Will may either be in Writing or by Word
of Mouth. See Deed, Conveyance, Will, &c.
Wealfofay, the written Law, Lexfirifta, in opposition to common Law, which is call'd Lex 11011 firipta. See
Law, Statute, Common Law, tSc. Wehave alfo
•written and unwritten Traditions, fife. See Tradition.
Authentic Writings of any ContraS, fealed and delivered, make the Evidence thereof. See Evidence, Testimony, ($c. . .
J. Ravenau has a Treatife entitled ties Infiripttons en Faux, wherein he fhewa how to revive and reltoreold Wri- tings almoft effaced, by means of Galls ground in white Wine, and diftill'd ; and thus rubb'd over the Writing.
LaVayer has a curious Diffcrtation on the Proof of Fads by comparifon of Hand Writings, wherein he endeavours to Shew this Method of Proof to be very fufpicious and falla- cious. See Proof, &c. .
'Tisa Point controverted among the School-Philofophers, what it is that Writing properly fignifies, or reprefents ; whether Ideas, or Things, or Words ; i. c. whether it ex- preffes Things themfelvcs, or our Ideas of Things, or the articulate Sounds by which, on other Occafions, we exprefs thofe Ideas.
The common Opinion is, that Writing only reprefents Words, that its proper Object is the Voice, and that it only fignifies Ideas mediately, or fecondarily ; and by means of thofe, Things themfelves.
Others, on the contrary, will have Ideas, Speech, and Writing, all equally and immediately reprefentatives of Things. See Idea, Notion, &c.
But the Controverfy is impertinent enough. No doubt
our Ideas of Things are the Things themfelves ; there be- ing no foundation for any difiindlioii between them. See External.
And as to Writing, fome may be Paid to be real, or Signi- ficant of Things and Ideas As the Egyptian Hiero- glyphics ; the Characters of Chymills, Astronomers, (gc. which are a kind of Images, or bear fome natural Refem- blance or Analogy with the Things they are intended to ex- prefs. SecSYMBOL, Hieroglyphic, .R^/Character, tSc.
But the common Writing only reprefents Sounds, which is the firft and moft natural Language ; and accordingly our Orthography is apparenrly form'd on, or adapted to the
Pronunciation. SeeORTHOGRAPiiY and Pronunciation.
Hence, the End of Writing is to excite, as it were, certain Sounds, which have been made the arbitrary Sign* of certain Ideas— This they do by virtue of a Combination or Affociation between fuch and fuch Figures made with th« Pen, and fuch and fuch Inflexions of the Voice.
In effect, we have a great many written Words which have no Ideas belonging to 'em 5 as Scindapfus, ffladri, &c.
which tend no further than to produce Sounds. Add,
that People when they begin to learn to read Writing, take it from Sounds which they hear produced by the Perfon who teaches 'em : An abundant Argument, that Writing does not immediately fignify Ideas and Things, but firtt * Sounds, and then Things.
Short Writing ; feeBRACHYGRAPHY.
Secret Writing ; fee Cryptography, Cypher, tic.
Hand Writing ; fee Hand.
WRONG, in a Logical Senfe ; fee Error, Fallacy, Falshood, Truth, l£c.
Wrong, in a Legal Senfe, Injury, l"ort. See Injury, Justice, Tort, Right, &c.
WULVESHEVED, or Wulveshead, from the Saxon, Wulfe, Lupus, and Heefod, Caput, q. d. Caput Lupinum, was the Condition of thofe Out-Iaw'd for Criminal Matters in the Saxons time, for not yielding themfelves to Juitice. For if they could have been taken alive, they mull: have been biought to the King ; and if they for fear of being apprehended, did defend themfelves, they might be (lain, and their Heads brought to the King ; for their Head was no more to be accounted of than a Wolf's Head. LL, Edw. in Lamb. fol. 127. and BraEt. lib. 3. trait, 2. cap. 11.
See Utlawry. Woifefiead and Wulferford, are all
one. Coke on Littl. fol. 28.
WiCH-flra/e, a Houfe in which the Salt is boiled. See Salt.
WiTDRAUGHT, a Water-Courfe, or Water-Paffage ; properly, a Sink, or Common-Snore. See Cloaca.
WYKE, antiently denoted a Farm, Hamlet, or little Village. See Farm, Hamlet and Village.
WYTE or Wyta, Wite or Wita, in our antient Caftoms, a pecuniary Penalty or Mulct. See Wite.
The Saxons had two kinds of Puni/hments, Were, and Wyte; the firfl for the more grievous Offences. See Were.
The Wyte was for the lefs heinous ones 't was not
fixed to any certain Sum ; but left at liberty, to be varied according to the Cafe.
WITHE, inLaw, the fame as Waif. See Waif.
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